Velocipede



Dec. 15 1925- J. A. BRIED,

vnnocnznz Filed June s. 1922 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED Ls-TES.

rfaranfr ofFr J'UIiIEllfi,A.4 BRIEID, OE' OAKLAND,V CALEFORNIA, ASSIGNO'R '119. lH-,I' C.. VJTHITE' COMPANI', OF.NORTI-I' BENNINGTON; VERIv'IONT, Ai CORRG'RATIG'N'OFYVERMONT VELOCIPEDE.

Application filed June 3,

. T'o all whom z't may concem:

Be itknown that 12, JULIEN'A. BRIED, al citizen of the United `States, residing at VOakland, in the county ofilrlalneda'and State of California, have invented'new'and'useful Improvem'ents in a Velocipede, ofwhich the following is a specifilcatio'n', andf which is illustratedin the accomp-anying drawings.

rl`his invention relates' to' velocipedes of the class carrying the rider on oscilating treadles in a standinrg'position andl it' hasl for its objects aV general'perfection of such a Vehicle as shown in *my patentof March 5, 1918, No. 1,258,391 contributing` to better riding qualities and 'isiinplifiecl" construction.

I attain the above'objects by theconstruetion shown in the accompanying drawings` in which Figure 1 is an elevation of my velocipede of the threewheelvtype with'the near'body side andnearrear'wheelpartially removed.

Figure 2 is a viewrof the rearlend of the Vehicle.

Figure 3 is a* plan'view of` one--treadle,-

Figure 4' is' al perspective sketchof" the` spring tensioning plates.

Figure 5, the belt connecting buckle -on ya driving spool, shown 'in perspective.

Figure 6, asection of the reach member' showing howV it is secured to the steering head.

Figure 7, diagrains to illustrate the pawl and ratchet 1 action.

In more detailedreference to the-drawings, Figure'l gives a general idea of the elevation of my velocipede as improved. The steering post 1 carrying a frontflwheel 2'is connectedto the yrearfbody portion by the centrally located reach piece 3 VthroughV the agency of a bracket or steering head 4 secnred to the forward end of the. reach and pivotedby a bolt 6 to a bracketi' onthe steering-post, and at-the rear end a frame S, in two pieces, bolted 'to the sidesfof'the reach and riveted to'the sides 9 Vof the body. A driving axle 39 passes through bearings in the sides, and carries tl1erear=wheels 40 (one only being shown). V

The body has a top 10 bolted to the sides, which' servesl as a seat for the rider in coastingv or. for anlextrawpassenger facing backward; Handles 11 are provided for this passenger Vas wel-llas-a foot'restrl forrnedl 1922. serial'no. 565,595.

out of'the frames 8 by `having lthe 'ends bent' outward. At'37 isfa. door pivotedto' the` sides at 38.

At 13 is 'shown a treadlepoff which there' are two, both presumed'to' bfedown'to the lowestl pointon' account ofa rider Standingon them as indicated 'atJ y14.;

Thetreadles are' pivotedfat their forward ends to a short transverse shaft 15 carried by the bracket land h'ave'a ,depressed portion for the feet of*the, rider'and'afrearwardly extending' offset`portion 16 stradi-V dling the franie 8'andconnected'at the extreme rear'end to driving belts 17.

The treadles are" adaptedf to oscillatein* the arc :as' dottedV at-18 toJ transmit4 power through springv actu'ated return ra-tchet spools 19 which'lift the treaidles,y all as described 'in my previous patent referred'jto:

By depressingthe treadles and stra'ddling the rear frame with them v`as shown, :['secureA gro-und, yet maintain Ia better road ,clearance'f a longer stroke, carrythe Vrider closer tothe for'ithe." body.

At 20 atboth ends of the' trea'dle stroke' are arra-ngedfeltshoclr absorbers tofreduce the noise otherwise developed.

The belts 17 -areeach respectivelysecured to one of the driving ratchetspools-19 Vthrough- Thisdisc-I has several lreyholes'for engagingv'tongues in a looking plate 25 secured tol the sides ofthe Vehicle body, and by turning the disc and hooki-ng into the plate the spring tension maybe adjusted to suit.

By referring to the perspective slrctches in- Figure 4, the construction ofthese meni bers will be readily nnderstood.v

The method of securing the reach member 3 to the front bracket 4 is shown in cross sec-' tion in Figure 6; It=willbeobservedfithat.

the bracket ismade with an--open pocketzto recei've `the reach which latter-is rivetedv to it, a filleifplatef being placed'onsqtheLexposed si deof the reach.

- The'treadle' construction is-bestl shown in` the plan .ofone of the' treadles, Figure" 3,

s in Figure 1.

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biv

wherein it will be seen to consist of longitudinal metal strap members 27 running clear through the treadle from end to end and bent edgewise to form the eontour seen These straps are riveted together against spacing blocks 28, and at 29 is an additional block to widen the treadle for the foot position. A short strap 30 surrounds this outer block and receives the samo rivets passing through the other straps.

rfhe pawl and ratchet construction is essentially the same as in my original patent mentioned, the pawls being gravity actuated. lt Will be noted by reference to said patent that the pawls fell out of mesh at the lowest point of the treadle strokes for coasting and were always engaged at the upper end or beginning of the stroke.

1 have found that it is of considerable importance to have the pawls also in disengaged position at the Very beginning` of the stroke as well as at the end of the stroke. This permits the Vehicle to be backed up or rolled backward by a child Without the former necessity of looking down the treadles to obtain a disengaged drive and therefore a free running Vehicle. rl`his feature shown clearly in Figure 7 loses a little of the effective stroke as the treadles must be pushed down slightly to bring the pawls to engaging position but the advantage more than compensates this loss. It is accomplished by a proper proportioning of the driving spool in rela'tion to the treadle stroke to produce the neutral zone at both ends of 'the stroke.

Figure 7 is diagrammatic and shows at 31 a treadle at lower end of stroke and at 32 a treadle at upper end of stroke with the pawl 33 disengaged from the ratchet 2511- in both positions.

iron the construction of the body of the vehicle, the sides 9 are laterally removable, being bolted along the upper edge at to an angle iron 2-36 riveted to the seat, and at the bottom coming away each with a half of the frame 8 to which it is riveted, upon unbolting the frames` 8 from the reach piece 3.

Having thus described my improved velocipede,

I claim:

1. In a Vehicle of the character described, a steering post carrying a front Wheel, a body carrying an aXle and two rear whecls, a centrally disposed reach member connecting the steering post and body, said reach member being of oblong cross section with. its longer cross dimension disposed in a Vertical plane and passing rearwardly under the axle, lateral framing secured to the rearward por ion of the reach member and to the sides of the body, a pair of Operating treadlesy pivotally supported at their for- Ward ends by the reach member and. extending rearwardly along the sides of said member With their rearward ends projecting over said framing into said body and adapted to oscillate therein.

2. In a veloeipede of the eharacter described embracing a steering post and a rear axle, a single central reach frame member only, said member being a substantially straight bar pivotally connected at its for- Ward end to the steering post and extending straight rearwardly under the rear axle and laterally connected to support the same, and a pair of longitudinally disposed Operating treadles pivotally supported at their forward ends to the forward end of the bar for oscillation along opposite sides thereof, and With the rear ends of the treadles operatively connected to revolve the rear axle.

3. ln a Vehicle of the class described, an operating treadle pivoted to oscillate in a Vertical plane, means limiting the length of the oscillation, and a piece of felt interposod between said means and the treadle, said felt being doubled over on itself and the double portion arranged to take the impact.

at. In a Vehicle of the class described having a housing secured to a lower frame, a pair of Operating treadles adapted to oscillate at one end Within the housing between the top thereof and the frame, bumpers arranged under the top of the housing and on the frame to receive the impact of the treadles, the latter bumpers comprising each a holder supported on the frame with a piece of folded over felt therein, the folded portion being arranged to take the impact.

5. In a Vehicle of the class described embracing a steering post carrying a front Wheel, and a body carrying rear Wheels, a centrally located reach frame member connecting said steering post with said body, said reach member being a straight piece in plan, of oblong cross section vertically disposed, a bracket secured to the forward end of said member and pivoted to the steering post, said bracket having a pocket centrally disposed with the Vehicle open on one side only to receive the forward end of the said member and being clamped thereto.

6. A Vehicle of the class described embraoing a steering post, a longitudinal central frame member pivoted to same and extending rearwardly, lateral framing at the rear of said member, a pair of Operating treadles arranged to oscillate along the sides of said member, the rear ends of said treadles being ofl'set to straddle said lateral framing.

7. In a velocipede of the character described, an elongated Operating treadle extending longitudinally of the Vehicle and pivoted transversely thereto at its forwardV end, said treadle having a foot receiving shelf and being turned upwardly at-the rear of the foot shelf whereby it functions as a rear stop for a riderls heel, and the treadle then extending rearwardly and being connected at its rear end for propulsic-n of the Vehicle.

8. In a Vehicle of the class described, foot treadle operated driving mechanism embracing a gravity actuated pavfl, said pawl being in disengaged position at the upper end of the treadle stroke.

9. In a Vehicle of the class described, foot treadle operated driving mechanism embracing a gravity actuated pawl, said pawl being in disenga'ged position at the beginning and at the end of the stroke.

10. In a Vehicle of the class described, Operating treadles, belts attached to said treadles and to spring return rotary ratchet devices, spiral actuating springs each se-' cured at one end to one of the said devices, and at the other end each to an adjusting member for Varying the tension of said springs. V V

11. In a Vehicle of the class described having a rear axleand a pair of rear Wheels, a body over the axle having two sides, a central main frame reach member passing between the wheels under the a-Xle, framing extending laterally from the lower part of the sides and secnred to theV reach member.

12. In. a Vehicle of t e class described having oscillatory op yting treadles, a reach member,V a box bodyembracing two sides, framing connecting said sides to said reach member, said framing being fashioned at its rearward end as a foot rest 'for a pass enger sitting on said Vehicle.

13. In a Vehicle of the class described having rear wheels and transmission mech anism, a box form body at the rear end of the Vehicle supporting the rear Wheels and housing the transmission mechanism, said body having a fiat top serving as a seat and a pair of handles at the sides of and entirely below the upper level of the top.

14. In a Vehicle of the class described having rear Wheels and transmission mechanism, a box form body at the rear end of the Vehicle supporting the rear wheels and housing the transmission mechanism, said body having sides and a fiat top overhang- Vhousing the transmission mechanism, said body having sides and a fiat top overhanging the sides, and hand grips arranged against the sides under the overhanging top, and a foot rest projecting from the rear of'the body.

16. In a Vehicle of the class described having oscillatory Operating treadles, a box body housing transmission eleinents, one of the sides of said box body being detachable for assembling said elements.

17. In a Vehicle of the class described having oscillatory Operating treadles, a box body having sides laterally removable fromV the Vehicle.

18. In a Vehicle of the class described,

an oscillatory treadle, a belt connecting said treadle with a' rotary device for transmitting power to a rear Wheel, a device through which saidbelt pas'ses for lengthening or shortening said belt.

19. In a Vehicle of the class described, an oscillatory treadle, a belt connectngsaid treadle with a rotary device for transmitting power to a rear Wheel and means for adjnsting the length of said belt.

v20. In a treadle operated Vehicle of the class described having front and rear wheels, a treadle embracing two metal straps bent edgewise to the elevation of the treadle and spacing blocks riveted between said straps. v

21. In a treadle operated- Vehicle of the class described having front andV rear wheels, a treadle embracing two metal straps bent edgewise to the elevation of the treadle and spacing blocks riveted between said straps and auxiliary block outside of one of said straps and riveted thereto to form a widened foot support.

22. In a treadle operated Vehicle of the 'class described having front and rear wheels, a. treadle with a depressed foot supporting portion and a metal strap on both sides of said treadle.

JULIEN A. BRIED. 

